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Thursday, 12 April 2012

Miss May I // The Ghost Inside // Parkway Drive - Live Review

Ohio's Miss May Iand Los Angeles' The Ghost Inside are back on UK shores, setting out on a tour with Parkway Drive [above]. Est.1987 headed to the sold out show at Manchester Academy 1 ready for what would be a hefty array of American and Australian hardcore!

We caught up with Levi Benton [Miss May I] and Aaron Brooks [The Ghost Inside] to chat recording, pre-show rituals and lions! To read what they had to say clickHERE.

Miss May I

By the time
Confession had finished their set in Manchester’s
largest of three Academy venues, the venue was full, ahead of what was set to
be a pretty electrifying evening. This would be the first time that Ohio’s Miss May I [MMI]
would play with The Ghost Inside [TGI] before their bill together on this
summer’s Warped Tour. Finally the evening would be topped off with ByronBay’s
Parkway Drive [PWD]. After catching up with MMI and TGI pre-show both bands
were relishing being able to be back playing in Manchester.

MMI's Levi Benton

As Miss May
I take to the stage here in Manchester
the reception is incredible, proving that although they only formed in 2006
they have honed their style and aren’t scared to keep progressing their sound.
The driven and vast “Relentless Chaos” ascends over the room, grabbing the entire
crowd’s attention; if you didn’t enter a MMI fan then you would certainly leave
as one. Front man Levi Benton throws himself tirelessly across the stage, starting
with perfected older hits such as the soaring and melodic “Architect”, then making
room for newer hits such as “Hey Mister” straight from forthcoming album “At
Heart”. “Hey mister, where have you been? We’ll never get to live this life
again”, Levi angrily.

The infectious line soon has the crowd singing it along
with him. MMI are large and loud at The Academy tonight; heavy, intricate
guitar breakdowns are broken with bassist Ryan Neff adding cleaner, melodic vocals.
And as Levi thrashes his trailing locks confidently through the entire set with
deep vocals closing with “Masses of A Dying Breed” he exudes a feral, wild quality
that can’t help but captivate. The band already has everyone’s fixed attention
here tonight and with a new album on the way as well as endless touring this Ohio quintet will be
holding plenty more gazes. “Stay f*****g metal” Levi’s orders as MMI exit the
stage after a winning performance.

The Ghost Inside

The crowd
suitably riled, it is now time for the Los
Angeles five-piece, The Ghost Inside, to commence
proceedings tonight. TGI is a band that isn’t afraid to give the crowd
everything; touring constantly they have perfected their live show. After
revealing that Manchester is their favourite
venue in the UK,
their set is anticipated to be something memorable. The introduction is building
and stirring; the pit, fit to bursting, is eager to begin the folly: “Greater
Distance” does this suitably. TGI slam their presence into the line-up tonight,
confidently charming the UK
crowd, even declaring their love for Nandos! “What do you stand for?” cry both
lead singer Jonathan Vigil and audience alike on “Between The Lines”.

Aaron Brooks- The Ghost Inside

His
performance (along with the rest of TGI) is ferocious as they charge up and
down the vast stage as a vicious pit consumes the floor. The thrashing “Shiner”
taken from the band’s “Fury and the Fallen Ones” album, continues the
unrelenting energy that this set demands and induces from both band and crowd;
participation is unstoppable. The set is concluded with the perfect duo of
“Faith or Forgiveness” and “Unspoken”. The first is encompassing and direct,
“I’ll see you when the sun sets” brings the song to a blunt end; and the latter
Jonathan dedicates to the crowd which entices an unstoppable circle pit climax
to their set. With a new album on the horizon as well as successfully locking
down their live show, we are yet to find anything that they aren’t good at.

Jonathan Vigil- TGI's lead singer

MMI and TGI
have put in two spectacular performances tonight and with the energy exuded it
may be that the crowd are flagging. However that is certainly not the case as
headliners Parkway Drive take to the stage. The anthemic “Idols and Anchors” soars
through the venue and the crowd, like a wave in mass movement, engulfs the
entire floor. “Yay sweaty laundry” lead singer Winston McCall laughs as he
picks up a filthy, sweaty t-shirt launched at the stage. “I can see three
circle pits, I need one” demands Winston before bursting into “Sleepwalker”,
and the challenge is accepted. The unflagging crowd erupt, continuing to grow
and grow as the circle pit fills the floor as the set continues. With a DVD out
soon and the band writing new songs Parkway
Drive aren’t slowing things down anytime soon, and neither is the set.

The crowd in Manchester Academy 1

The
melodic beginnings of “Alone” break into heavy breakdowns and raw vocals. PWD’s
set is none stop, tight and spontaneous; the crowd agree as they chant the band
back on for an encore. Jonathan kneels on stage; “Do you have energy for one
more? Birmingham
nearly got shut down because we had so many stage dives – over a hundred”. And
once again, the crowd and indeed the band don’t disappoint.

The perfect encore
song, “Carrion” lights up the venue for one last time. And as tight as the band
were here tonight, the crowd were also united.
Spectacular line-up, spectacular show.